369 - A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

369. Without Subjects, There Is No King It was chaotic, with too many individuals approaching. The owlbear's gaze settled on the new speaker. "Enkreed?" The creature recognized a familiar face and inadvertently called out his name. Enkreed scanned his surroundings, noting the people present and the figure wearing a feathered hat, then turned his attention back. Their eyes met. In that instant, Enkreed processed several facts. The opponent knew him. The opponent was likely of noble birth. They were associated with the Black Sword. They were in the process of transforming into a creature. They knew how to exploit it. The brown eyes resembled someone he knew. A name surfaced in his mind. A trained body, a whiff of decadence, someone who emphasized decorum. A person he'd found difficult to encounter afterward—wasn't he under Count Molsen? Did this mean Count Molsen and the Black Sword were in league? Though new questions arose, Enkreed felt he knew who he was facing and spoke. "Baronet Ventra?" With just a glance, he identified them. It was the voice of his honed intuition. Only then did Ventra understand why their faces seemed familiar. They were the ones he had briefly encountered on his way into the palace. The moment he recognized them, he bolted from the ground. His plan was to escape. He knew the deeds of these so-called 'mad squad.' However, his escape failed. Whoosh! As soon as he leapt, a disc flew over his head. Instinct reacted at the sound. Jumping up would mean death! It was an unreasonably fast-thrown axe. Even in his beastly form, he sensed it was a force he couldn’t withstand, so he dodged. Instead of leaping upwards, the owlbear lowered its head. It crouched. Rather than fleeing, it halted in its tracks. "Alright, guess I'll slice you." A blonde swordsman approached, speaking. He was the one exuding an ominous aura like a maniac. Before he even finished speaking, he lunged. The blade descended vertically, like a bolt of lightning. Ventra, now in his monstrous form, fluffed up his feathers and crossed his arms to block. Clang! Crack, snap! The blade seemed blocked, but still partially cut through his arms. "Aaaargh!" A shriek, mixed with human and monster cries, echoed in agony. "Hey, this is for avenging a comrade." Meanwhile, Aesia, who had accompanied Enkreed, directed her thin blade towards his heart. Springing forward from behind Enkreed, she thrust with deadly precision. 'Dammit!' The owlbear contracted his chest muscles and leapt back, preventing a hole in his heart. The slender blade pierced and exited through the flesh and muscle between his feathers. Following the exiting blade, a dark crimson stream trailed behind. The opponent was a sub-knight of the knight order. No, that wasn't the issue. In addition to sub-knight Aesia, there were at least five more combatants of similar skill present. Regardless of transforming into an owlbear, or even the grandfather of all owlbears, it was futile. In truth, if they encountered him, the fight was already lost. The task was to locate, not fight. Once the moon rose, it would be over. Had the knight order not intervened, he might have stood a chance. With their intervention, the outcome was expected. Perhaps the only surprise was that Krang sent escorts and the involvement of the head guard. In a sense, it meant at least some were concerned for the city's safety and order, which wasn't inherently bad. Rooooar! Ventra let out another few cries. "Damn it!" He cursed, enduring the situation. "Spare me!" In the end, he begged for his life. Watching this unfold, the Southern Guard Captain in the feathered hat briefly blamed himself for not recognizing the foe. 'Every last one is a monster.' What do you call those with the prowess to toy with an actual monster like an owlbear? Only then did he realize the true nature of the rumors about the Border Guards. Within the capital, some still dismissed those stories as nonsense, mere fabrications. ‘What fools.’ Having narrowly survived, the guard captain now wished to rip apart the mouth of anyone spewing such foolishness. The owlbear, fighting to the end, with a hole in its thigh and a fractured skull, finally had its neck half-severed by an axe blade. Splat! Under Rem's skillful assault, Ventra poured dark red blood onto the ground as he collapsed. His head, leading the way, fell forward and he crumbled. With a mortal wound, as the creature's blood drained away, the transformation unraveled. He returned to his human form. The feathers vanished, and his entire body trembled. The gushing torrents of blood significantly decreased. Transforming back to a human didn’t change the fact he was mortally wounded. "Cough." As Ventra lay there coughing up blood, Enkreed squatted before him. “Why did you emerge from here?” He asked. Naturally, Ventra had no intention of responding. But as he lay dying and overcome with regret, Ventra muttered in resentment. “It's unfair.” The arrow of his resentment wasn't aimed at Enkreed. It targeted the one who had made him what he was. His indulgence in desire and pleasure had been a side effect, not his true wish. Although transformed into a monster, he regained part of his humanity before death. This fact made it all the more unjust. “How did you become a beast?” Enkreed asked. “Potion, potion.” Ventra murmured as he lay dying. The light in his eyes slowly faded. Death was near. Enkreed couldn't ask more. Ventra summoned the last bit of his strength. Without telling this, he couldn't even rest in peace after death. “I am not the last.” * * * Count Molsen nodded after receiving the report. “He was discovered and eliminated sooner than anticipated.” His subordinate spoke from the middle of the study, and the count, reclined in his chair, responded indifferently. “It matters not. He was a disposable piece anyway.” Was this the work of Enkreed and his ilk again? They were a persistent nuisance. Yet, his claim that it was fine was sincere. “The preparations?” “Less than a fortnight remains.” “I see.” It was a night illuminated by the full moon. Setting his wine aside, the Count spoke. “Let us see, in a fortnight. Your Majesty the Queen.” Who would occupy the throne, whether it be himself or the queen, would be determined by then. Before the corpse of what was once the Baronet Ventra, now reverted back from an owlbear, the Feathered Hat Guard Captain saluted Enkreed. "Please forgive my earlier rudeness." "No offense taken." Guarding the gate was merely their duty. "I appreciate your assistance." He expressed his gratitude. Enkreed brushed it off nonchalantly, feeling it was a task that needed to be done by someone anyway. What occupied his mind more was the parting words of Ventra before crossing over. "So, do you think it's okay for you to leave your post?" Enkreed asked Mathew, aware that something significant was unfolding within the palace, even if he didn't know exactly what. And Krang's escort appearing here? "A nation cannot exist without its people. Without subjects, there is no king." Mathew replied. Enkreed understood. It was likely a message from Krang. If he were to become a king while turning a blind eye to the killings by the so-called Moonlight Beast, it would mean nothing to him. That, strangely, resonated with him deeply. Krang was the kind of person who naturally inspired others to want to help. "Anyway, it seems well resolved," Enkreed noted, as Rem suggested sparring out of boredom, while Laguna cleaned the blood and oil from his sword. On the other side, Dunbakel nodded as he picked up his curved blade. "Good, this." He seemed satisfied with picking up what was left by the assassin's hand. "Did you notice any other smelly ones?" Enkreed inquired, and Dunbakel shook his head. "Haven’t seen anyone with a similar scent." Then what was it that suggested another presence? And if there were more, would they really be so subdued? Was the Moonlight Beast not alone? No, the suspect was intoxicated by monstrous blood, succumbing to their primal urges, and sought pleasure through slaughter. That assumption wasn't just based on the Southern Guard Captain’s statement, but also from information gathered through inquiries. Enkreed mulled over whether Ventra's dying words were mere nonsense, but sensed the sincerity at that moment. He wasn't dull enough to miss that. So, what else was there? There was nothing within the capital. In that case, what more was involved? After a brief contemplation, he concluded: "Count Molsen created a chimera." By voicing that one sentence, Enkreed reached his conclusion. "Hey, that’s something that needs to be reported to the palace immediately." Aesia said and took off. Whether it was night or not, this was urgent. "Well then." Before leaving, Mathew approached. In the end, they didn't get to witness him use his whip. It was Rem, Laguna, Dunbakel, and Aesia who stepped in to subdue the owlbear. "Do you have something to say?" With a few hesitant words, Mathew seemed to steel himself, clenching his teeth before speaking. "Please support my lord." "Sure." “When danger approaches, just once...” “Alright.” “...Hmm?” "I'll help." What did he think he was staying here for, enduring this instead of going home? It was to wield a sword alongside Krang, having witnessed his endeavors. He would be a king for Nawrilia. Besides, sending his whip-wielding escort here was a testament, acting out the words he preached, showing his intent to support the kingdom, its people, and subjects. He declared he would be such a king. Simultaneously, he also declared friendship. Someone like that, worthy enough to not immediately become his knight, was more than worthy enough to wield his sword for a good cause. The instant decision was because Enkreed had already contemplated it. The prompt reply puzzled Mathew. "He’s not one to stop beside me. Therefore, he wouldn’t want assistance." It was something Krang said himself. This was his undertaking, and he intended to see it through by his means. A gamble, yet necessary for victory. "Then." Mathew turned to leave. As dawn broke over the night, word reached Andrew's estate. It wasn’t about the night’s events. The story of Baronet Ventra's death and capture of the Moonlight Beast was buried. The narrative was hushed. The news that spread was about a conferment ceremony. Krang's signal shot up. Perhaps due to that, Aesia ceased appearing altogether. Having spent several days in each other’s company, her absence was felt deeply. "Why isn’t that sub-knight coming anymore?" Even Rem noted her absence. "The conferment ceremony is happening. She must be busy." Enkreed replied, drenched in sweat. He too felt her absence keenly. ‘If only I could have experienced it a hundred, or even two hundred more times.’ Perhaps then he could have broken through to the next level of swordsmanship. Though truly overwhelming Aesia would require a lot more time. It was regretful, to be sure. She was someone he wished to face off against many more times. "In this emptiness, shall we at least pummel the captain? Let's go." Rem’s suggestion hit the right spot, mirroring Enkreed’s own sentiments. * * * The inner workings of the palace shifted day by day, all according to Krang's intentions. And Krang further fueled the flames. “Are we going to just watch? A dukedom?” “Is he digging his own grave?” A matter that stirred the entire nobility into uproar. It was announced that the queen intended to confer a dukedom upon Krang, where a marquisate had been the highest title within the palace. "Where did Baronet Ventra disappear to?" Baron Mernes inquired. He became the figure who unified all factions within the palace. A previously scattered group found unity due to the presence of Krang on the other side. With Marcus Vaisar and several noble allies, he immediately sought to leverage the queen to receive the dukedom. Everything he did posed a threat to the noble faction. From institutional reforms to bolster royal power, they naturally couldn't just stand by. It was clear: he needed to be ousted, for he threatened the entire noble community. Though it appeared the queen supported him, it was typically the loudest who were dealt with first. ‘Is he being arrogant, relying on the queen’s backing?’ Baron Mernes judged Krang’s actions as ultimately being the queen’s will. ‘Why, Your Majesty?’ This would lead to catastrophic outcomes. Naturally, factions gathered and unified. It was clear that if they didn't focus their consolidated power externally, things would become troublesome. The queen was effectively digging her own grave. The conferment ceremony was scheduled for a week later. Baron Mernes mobilized the assassination union and also utilized the power that backed him. The remaining forces of the Black Sword Bandits entered the palace. Among the Royal Guard, he placed those loyal to his side. He also informed some of the defectors from the knight order about the impending uprising. ‘This is true loyalty.’ The tides had already shifted. Civil war would only eat away at the country. Thus, it made sense to quash everything before it even started. If the queen intended to use her suddenly appeared brother as a shield... ‘Then that brother will perish.’ In that case, the queen would cease her meddling and become a puppet on the throne. Then the true king would enter to sit on the throne. ‘My work will end with that.’ The baron muttered quietly. Everything was set to conclude the day before the conferment ceremony.